How can the Sendai framework be implemented for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development? A qualitative study in Iran

Globalization and Health Nekoei‑Moghadam et al. Globalization and Health (2024) 20:23 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-024-01028-w Open Access RESEARCH How can the Sendai framework be implemented for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development? A qualitative study in Iran Mahmood Nekoei‑Moghadam1, Seyed Mobin Moradi1*   and Asghar Tavan2 Abstract Background The Sendai Framework is the United Nations’ most significant approach to reducing the risk of disasters from 2015 to 2030. This framework designed for all communities. However, communities should create operational and remedial strategies based on their unique circumstances. Considering the gaps in the implementation of Sendai framework strategies in Iran, as a developing country, the present study was designed. Method This study was conducted by using a qualitative direct content analysis method to find out the expert’s opinions on the implementation of the Sendai framework in Iran from 2021 to 2023. 35 experts in the focus group discussion and 9 experts in the interview were the participants of the study. Results Study findings were merged and reported as one main theme entitled Executive actions for implementing the Sendai Framework, four categories, and 37 codes. Eleven codes for the strategy of understanding disaster risk, 11 codes for the strategy of strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk, eight codes for the strategy of Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and finally, seven codes for the strategy of enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction were identified as implementation solutions. Conclusion The Sendai Framework has not provided any detailed implementation solutions because the countries’ economic, social, level of development, etc., are different. The study’s findings can be used as a guide for other devel‑ oping countries. Keywords Sendai framework, Disaster risk reduction, Developing countries, Executive actions, Strategies *Correspondence: Seyed Mobin Moradi 1 Health in Disasters and Emergencies Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran 2 Faculty of Management and Medical Information Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Background The concept of sustainable development has evolved into a paradigm for development and has become a reference for environmental science study [39]. Sustainable development is much more than economic development and includes wide dimensions such as social, economic, political, cultural, environmental, and local and international policies [16]. Due to their different conditions, developing and developed countries have different approaches and obstacles to achieving sustainable development goals © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecom‑ mons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Nekoei‑Moghadam et al. Globalization and Health (2024) 20:23 [38]. The occurrence of disasters is one of the main obstacles to achieving sustainable development goals. Disasters lead to spending society’s resources to recover the affected areas, and opportunities to invest in sustainable development goals are lost [7]. In this way, investing in disaster risk reduction can be one of the available options for vulnerable communities to achieve sustainable development goals [18]. It is rare to find a society in the world that does not face various types of disasters, whether natural or man-made [8]. Today, disasters have taken up a large part of the government’s resources and programs [47]. Climate changes, human manipulations in nature and the rapid development of technology have increased the vulnerability of people and the occurrence of accidents [48]. The statistics show the increasing growth of disasters all over the world. Disasters impose many lives and financial losses on governments and nations every year [28]. Statistically, the Asian continent has faced the most natural disasters, 44%, and also the most affected people, 69.5% of the disasters, were from Asia. After that, the Americas with 25%, Europe with 14%, Africa with 13% and Oceania with 4% are in the next rank [31]. Therefore, it can be seen that the Asian continent is one of the most vulnerable continents in terms of the number of disasters and the number of people killed. Meanwhile, Asia and Africa are the most vulnerable [32]. On the other hand, it is estimated that more than 97% of natural disasters that lead to death, occur in developing countries that are located in disaster-prone areas. In addition to natural disasters, man-made disasters also occur in developing countries due to inadequate infrastructure [25]. A study on the future impacts of disasters estimates that between 2020 and 2030, people in Asia and the Pacific will be at high risk for injury and death from various disasters [31]. On average, accidents and disasters cause more than 150,000 lives and more than 140 billion dollars in losses in the world’s countries every year [34]. The prevention and mitigation of disaster risk must be the primary concern for all parties involved, including managers, experts, and politicians. Utilizing global information and experiences might be a helpful step in raising the degree of catastrophe knowledge in this regard. The Sendai Framework is the United Nations’ most significant approach to reducing the risk of disasters from 2015 to 2030 [36]. The Sendai Framework comprises parts that guarantee and support continuous efforts by governments and other stakeholders. Many experts believe that the following modifications to the Sendai framework are the most significant: a focus on disaster risk management instead of crisis management [35]. The Sendai Framework is a fully structured framework with particular objectives and plans for every Page 2 of 16 community. However, it is up to the communities to carry it out. Communit (...truncated)